December is fraught with mixed emotions as one looks back at the year that was and ahead to the one coming up. This month of festivities can be fun as well as frustrating. All of which can be exhausting if we don’t succumb to the pressure we put on ourselves and/or get from societal expectations. For myself, I have finally learned to keep it simple and stick to that which truly brings me joy. Joy of the season and those with whom I choose to share it. To everything and everyone else, I graciously and politely decline. No is a complete sentence.
To that end, I make the house cozy and inviting with flowers, candlelight, fireside comforts on the ready (warm throws, books, board games, puzzles), music and, all the makings for cold weather drinks and nibbles. Small gatherings, special (but simple) dinners, walks in the woods, theater tickets, the occasional binge watching of a streaming series, art gallery hopping, quiet hours spent reading or painting are the simple pleasures that make my December joyful.
And yes, there are some garden chores as well.
Things To Do In December
1. Hurry up and finish any pending plant protecting tasks! Ditto for statuary and other articles left outdoors.
2. Complete mulching all plants.
3. Drain out all outdoor water pipes. Store hoses properly.
4. Keep bird feeders filled.
5. Stay on top of watering plants in greenhouse and house. Be vigilant for signs of pests or disease.
6. Set aside seed and plant catalogs for making plans for next year’s growing seasons.
7. Archive garden photos taken through this year. They will come in handy when you plan and design for next year.
8. Enjoy paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs blooming indoors.
9. Make use of this down time and relax! Don’t let the Holiday Season wear you down.
Lets make it a month we deserve to have.
Happening now –
Daffodil Tazetta precooled for the requisite 2 weeks
With most of the major tasks done, it’s been all about the little stuff. Seemingly unimportant but quite necessary. Like the unsteady garden stand – divested of the seasonal pots, it looks totally fine and therefore, it’s very easy to forget how annoying it was through the entire summer to have it wobble each time I watered or deadheaded the plants on it. A simple straightening of the rear right leg has fixed the problem.
On that vein, I’ve replenished the supply of surgical gloves which are super useful when handling anything unsanitary (dead mouse anyone?) or yucky. I also like putting them on before wearing my regular garden gloves when a fresh manicure needs protection. A girl has to do stuff like that.
A touch of paint here, a dose of WD-40 there. Getting tools sharpened, restocking the twine, replacing lost stakes (where do they go?).You get the idea. It’s those details that truly help make things so much better/easier/efficient. I can’t speak for others but for myself, by taking care of them in this period of lull, the prospect of getting started in spring feels positively exciting.
One can dive straight into the business of gardening – prepared and determined.
Now, I’m off to gather up garden catalogs, garden magazines, folders (for those inspiring pages torn from aforementioned magazines), books on gardening, notebook, highlighter and pens into my trusty trug by the fireplace. Big dreams and noble visions await.
Whew! The slew of fall chores are mostly done. I say mostly because is one ever fully done working in the garden? At least the big stuff has been dealt with. Cut back, removal of debris and annuals, pruning, moving myriad plants to greenhouse, mulching, putting away vulnerable furniture and/or garden elements, fallen leaves management and then the biggest task of all in my garden – planting the huge number of bulbs (1300 to be precise).
A word on how I deal with my leaves. In the front garden, most of the leaves are raked and gathered from the tiny lawn and deposited on the compost pile in the woods. If left in place, they form a dense mat that literally smothers the grass to death.
Then, remaining leaves are blown on to the perennial beds in front as well as the vegetable-herb beds to provide winter protection.
Finally, in the ‘meadow’, the windfall from the surrounding trees are left in place.
One thing I never do is collect leaves in the stipulated large brown paper sacks for town pick-up.
The big pots are sitting pretty in their burlap over plastic wrappings – like brown paper packages tied up in string.
I’m exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. It’s lovely to look forward to some down time, prepare the home for winter months and more immediately, get ready for the holiday season. Thanksgiving is fast approaching!
To that point, paperwhites and amaryllis have been started – the former should start blooming by Thanksgiving and the latter in time for the December festivities. Window lights and candles have also been recommissioned – there’s no such thing as too much light in winter.
I’m enjoying the anticipation of the respite because I know myself well. By mid-January I will start poring through nursery catalogs, salivate over all the possibilities and get impatient to have my hands in the soil once more. Spring arrives early in my head.
On the ready for bulb plantingBulb planting crewLeaves removed from the lawnLeaves in place
November is definitely full of nuances. Within what appears to be Fall are the hints of Winter. The temperature that dips sharply at night, the light that shifts from bright to dim as though a faulty dial cannot stay fixed, the night that comes early and seems endless, the sounds of leaves being raked or blown being replaced by wood being chopped and, air swirling with aromas of decaying vegetation and wood smoke. It is a month fraught with subtle meanings. Even as we reluctantly bid adieu to warm weather pleasures, November takes us gently towards congenial gatherings around tables laden with comforting foods, cozy conversations by a blazing fireplace and invigorating walks in the woods. Everywhere one looks November reminds us of what is truly important. Connections – to nature, to family, to friends, to each other.
It’s the final push of garden chores before the December holiday season takes over.
Here’s the November To-Do list –
1. First and foremost, put away all Halloween decorations. Set up Thanksgiving display – gourds, pumpkins, ornamental kales and cabbages, chrysanthemums and asters.
2. Having cut back plants and cleared debris, mulch all plant beds.
3. Hurry up and finish all pending tasks from last month!
4. Finish planting spring flowering bulbs.
5. Protect pots to be left outdoors, vulnerable plants such as boxwood, certain roses, and garden statuary.
6. Fill bird feeders.
7. Be prepared for snow and ice. Keep snow shovels, grit or sand, firewood stocked and handy.
8. In case of power outage, have candles, flashlights, matches and batteries on the ready. A radio too – I have one that gets powered by manually cranking it up.
9. Finish dealing with fallen leaves. Leave in place, spread as mulch to protect garden beds, add to compost pile.
10. Clean and store tools. Get appropriate ones sharpened.
11. Start setting aside seed and plant catalogs. Soon you will be planning for next year!
12. As long as the weather is mild, keep on weed watch!
13. In the greenhouse, be sure the heater is doing its job. Ventilation is also important to keep plants healthy.
14. Start a routine for regular watering of plants indoors. Keep vigil for early signs of pests or disease.
15. Start forcing amaryllis and paperwhites for seasonal cheer. Similarly, put bulbs such as hyacinths, muscari , crocus and tulips in for cooling. (I use my refrigerator). In about fourteen to eighteen weeks, you can start forcing them and pretend it is spring!
Is it just me or has October whizzed by? Perhaps it’s because I’ve been overly busy. That’s what happens when one takes off for 3 weeks – you hit the road running on returning home.
It’s been a game pf playing catch up in all areas of my life. Work, home (the kitchen renovation is moving along but my goodness, it’s painfully slow), news both national and international ( I had chosen to leave my phone at home and judiciously avoided all news and social media– highly recommend!) and then, of course the garden.
Typically, I begin tackling fall chores in the garden around the time of the autumnal equinox. Since I only returned in the first week of October, I was a full 3 weeks behind. As any gardener knows that’s a lot. I got cracking right away. At first it didn’t feel too bad. I had it all worked out. Then we got alerted of a freeze watch. That put me into high gear in a tearing hurry. Myriad pots, mostly large and heavy with tender perennials/citrus/tropicals had to be trimmed, cleaned up and ‘power washed’ to remove pesky stowaways before being moved into the greenhouse which is rather inconveniently situated. Said heavy pots have to be brought from their sites around the property, treated to the secateurs and bath, moved down some stairs and then about a few yards further to reach the sanctuary of the greenhouse. Doing all of this back challenging work under a time pressure is not fun.
Since then, it’s been cutting back, removing debris, dealing with fallen leaves, putting away, more cutting back, cleaning up, countless trips hauling all the vegetation to the woods beyond where they will earn their keep by eventually turning into compost. Whew.
Amidst all this requisite work, I’ve also ripped up the checkerboard garden. This space has increasingly become more shady – the neighbor’s cedar has grown very tall. The creeping phlox has struggled to thrive and moss has slyly crept in everywhere. As has ajuga that opportunistically decided to joypusly leap from elsewhere and make itself at home where it does not belong. So out came all the vegetation. The soil then needed loosening and tilling. Looking at the ‘emptied’ checkerboard revealed that the slate squares needed straightening and aligning. All of this work took an entire Saturday. Nothing is ever simple!
New choice of plants will go in next week. I shall duly provide an update. Note: the creeping phlox was replanted elsewhere in the hope they will be much happier.
Fall is the time of year when I’m painfully (literally) reminded of the existence of certain parts of my body. Post fall cutback and clean up, doing simple things like bending, sitting down and then standing up has my entire lower body protesting vehemently and often. Ditto my upper arms. Am I not using my entire body properly and completely at other times of the year? How can this be!
This week I’m giving myself some recovery time by taking care of lighter work like wrapping the very large pots to keep them protected in place through the very cold months of winter.
With the great bulb planting weekend happening in November, I must necessarily be ready and able. Over a 1000 bulbs await.
Last rose of summerNasturtium still going strongCheckerboard garden beforeMeadow cut backFront beds cut back and ready for bulbs
So this week we shall consider the fun of a Halloween garden for non-gardeners. It’s easier than one for gardeners who they are not phased so easily by the routine/normal stuff. Working with Nature has made them knowledgeable – as we know, knowledge is power.
Which then naturally means that we’re preying on the unsuspecting/innocent/naive. To scare them with the ordinary.
Note: Non-gardeners is a term I use playfully. Everyone loves a good garden but unless you are very familiar with horticulture and/or gardening, there is much that is not apparent.
To start with, there is the physical or visual – consider plants brandishing thorns and spikes on limbs (and even on some leaves) that threaten and intimidate. Roses, Pyracantha, Hawthorn, Bougainvilla, Firethorn, Barberry, Holly, gooseberry, etc.,
How about low growing, innocuous looking greenery whose serrated edged leaves casually lacerate exposed legs as they walk by – only to discover the culprit is the common hellebore.
They all shout Beware!
Some seedheads and pods can look pretty creepy too. Snapdragons look like skulls and Canna can give the appearance of eyes spying on you. Devil’s Claw seedpods have a certain air of menace about them. Those with tryophobia, the fear from viewing objects with clusters of holes can break into sweats, get chills or panic attacks can be triggered by looking at something as common as a lotus seedpod.
Sound effects from rattling seedpods can be rather effective in creating alarm. Or even the rustling of dry leaves. The imagination can do quite a number!
Then, there are the creatures one typically desires in the garden, Spiders, bats, garden snakes, bees, wasps are all valued by gardeners but give many the heebie-jeebies. Walking into a spider web or having a bat stealthily swoop by or coming upon a garter snake coiled on your path can make you jump out of your skin.
How about the smell of skunk cabbage, carrion flower, Starfish Cactus or worse but uncommon, that of the Corpse Flower can be very foul. They’ll make anyone want to leave in a hurry!
Even the familiar can take on a frightening role. Imagine a murderer’s garden full of plants known to be well-known sources of poisons and toxins. Monkshood/aconite, Digitalis/foxgloves, Datura, Convallaria/Lily of the Valley, daisy, daffodil, Lonicera/honeysuckle, the list is extensive. And yet, they bring so much color and beauty to a garden, look entirely harmless and are wildly popular. Most non-gardeners are unaware of the more sinister nature of these garden staples. It has been my experience that once the toxic properties are brought to their attention, they literally take a few steps back from the plants. Amusingly, some give quite a wide berth as though the poison is being dispersed out into the air.
It’s remarkable how our own imaginations can either trick or treat us!
There you have it. A typical garden can become quite the scariest place to be! Beat that Haunted House.
Here some images to haunt you –
Seedpods are my watercolors.
Snapdragon skullsLotus ‘holes’ to creep you outCanna has its eyes on you!Lying in waitWatch out!Beware the BrugamansiaPretty and poisonousCan strike a blow to the heartTantalizing and thornyCome into my parlou…Dread the daffodilOuch!
As promised last week, I’m sharing my thoughts on the changes we must consider making to keep pace with climate change. As gardeners, we see the impact of even the slight shifts in weather patterns – when plants emerge, when they bloom, quantity and quality of bloom, availability of pollinators, numbers of pollinators/pests, fruit production etc., We have front row seats in the climate change arena. So what are we going to do about it?
For starters, we accept that this is real. Not a one off or happenstance. There is enough scientific data to prove it if one is still skeptical despite the evidence we see in our individual gardens. Then, and only then, can any positive, productive action follow.
Given that our winters are milder and springs arriving earlier, sowing times have to be changed. At this point, it is about experimenting. For certain plants that get directly sown, when/how early must needs be determined. Can sowing in the Fall even be a possibility? For seeds started indoors, we can undoubtedly begin earlier. But how early?
Similarly, the timings of other tasks such as pruning, cutting back, harvesting, dividing, planting for spring, summer flowers and, fall bulb planting must also be adjusted. I’ve already penciled in mid-November for bulb planting. That’s a good 4 weeks later than when I used to do that job just 10 years ago. The last couple of years it was done the first weekend in November. But, last year, it was so mild well into December that some bulbs started pushing up their green snouts by Christmas.
Pest control will be a very urgent matter I predict. Along with old pests there will be new ones. This year, my neck of the woods has seen a significant increase in the numbers of the Spotted Lantern Fly. It’s been horrid. At present we haven’t any effective methods against them. There’s talk of introducing some new wasp that can combat the pest but then, will this newcomer endanger other desirable insects and/or plants?
Known problems like powdery mildew, aphids and other diseases may well be exacerbated. Yikes!
The significant reduction in the bird and insect populations has alarm bells ringing. Filling our gardens with as many host plants is imperative. Which brings us to the next matter.
What we plant will also need consideration. Some old favorites are going to struggle in the new climate conditions. Decisions must be made as to what we replace them with. Which plants we call native to our parts is going to change!
The learning curve will be steep but, we are a resilient bunch. We will learn and adapt. There is no choice in this matter.
We gardeners must recognize ourselves as civilian scientists. As custodians of our personal parcels of land, it behooves us to take our responsibilities seriously and with optimism. Together, we can not only continue to enjoy our gardens but importantly, we get to ensure that future generations inherit a better, healthier world.
Note: I’m taking the month of September off! Going off the grid! I shall see you back here in October. Here’s the list of garden chores for September –
Things To Do In September
1. Continue weeding.
2. Deadhead. Cut back anything that looks ragged or done for.
3. Mow the lawn less frequently.
4. Water judiciously.
5. Get leaf rakes, leaf bags and keep ready. Fall cometh! Preferably, let leaves remain in place wherever possible.
Here we are in late August. Summer’s end is in our sight-line. And so it’s time to assess the garden. The highs and lows, the whats and whys of the growing season must be noted. From this, we learn and take steps to make our gardens healthier, more productive and beautiful.
Looking around my garden, I see those plants that need to be reined in severely. In the meadow, ornamental raspberries and woodland anemones are the regular offenders which, this fall, will be ruthlessly handled till very small versions of themselves remain. The asters which are only a little less prolific are also targeted for serious editing – they will be drastically divided and distributed amongst fellow gardeners. Each of these plant types are legitimate and beloved residents of my garden but if not given diligent oversight, they get too full of themselves and aggressively thwart their neighbors freedom to exist. As a result, they must quite literally be cut down to size.
It’s with some concern I’ve noted that the milkweed are nowhere to be seen. Before I simply plant in fresh replacements in the Fall, I must determine the reason for their loss. Were the emerging shoots subjected to harsh weather in late spring? Or did the aforementioned thugs vanquish them by moving into their space? Surely it cannot be a pest? I have to do some investigation.
In the checkerboard garden, overhead conditions have changed as the neighbor’s cedar has grown quite mighty. All the shade it now provides means the creeping phlox no longer thrives. Instead, moss has moved in and columbines have self-seeded extensively along with forget-me-nots. I’m debating if I should see how this plays out next year or if I ought to include something to carry this area from spring into summer this Fall. Perhaps the shorter, clumping allium like A. millenium which blooms in summer? A single clump in the center of each mossy green square would look fetching but I wonder if the paucity of sunlight would once again be a problem. Another investigation to add to my growing list.
A few plants have made no appearance in the perennial beds in front. They were planted only last fall so its possible they struggled with inclement weather conditions since then and lost the fight. Or did the nasty Spotted Lantern Flies devour them as they did the young marigolds I’d planted around the new elephant sculpture in the herb garden? This might remain a mystery.
I see that matters like these plus the chores that need rescheduling to align with the changing climate ( which I will get into next week) will keep me from remaining idle for quite a while. The lazy, hazy days of summer are indeed over.
Watercolors of some of the plants that need attention –
After a mostly brutal July, August has entered the building. A very uncharacteristically agreeable entrance at that. The weekend weather was nothing short of stellar. With a temperature high of just mid-70s, lows in the mid-60s, humidity that was barely perceptible and light breezes gently stirring up the air, it was exactly what was needed. I stayed out in the garden the entire time. Some work got done but honestly, I spent most of my time simply basking in the deliciousness of it all.
This week doesn’t look half bad either. Dare we expect this month to redefine our summer?
But before I put up the hammock and indulge in my tall stack of summer reads, there’s the monthly list of chores to consider. And consider I shall.
What To Do In August –
1. Harvest the vegetable patch regularly. If you’re overwhelmed with the bounty, offer them to food kitchens, friends and neighbors. Also, consider canning vegetables and fruit. They are mighty handy to have on those days in winter when you crave summer fare. Not to mention the crazy times when cooking is simply not possible.
2. Keep weeding. Even when it is hot, hot, hot, weeds continue to thrive. Early hours of the morning are most enjoyable – cooler and fewer biting bugs.
3. Water as required.
4. Mow as usual. Again, do the right thing and keep blades at 3 1/2 to 4 inches high. Let the clippings be as very soon they will disappear into the soil and enrich it.
5. Continue to deadhead and trim back. This keeps the garden tidy. Seeds that you wish to harvest can be left on the plants till they are ripe and ready.
6. Take cuttings of plants for rooting. Doing it now will provide enough time for growth before planting in the fall or bringing indoors in winter.
7. If you’re going away, arrange to have someone water the garden and keep an eye on things.
8. Prune wisteria and anything that is overgrown.
9. Watch for pests and/or disease. Use organic treatments.
10. Keep birdbaths filled with fresh water.
11. Spend as much time as possible in the garden – autumn approaches! Eat, read, snooze, throw parties, paint, write, meditate, pay bills, enjoy the garden.
If you haven’t as yet ordered your bulbs for fall planting, do it now!
Monarch butterfly on the milkweedHarvesting hydrangeaSpotted Lantern Fly nymphs. UghHummingbird gracing the Agapanthus
It’s high summer and hence peak season for contending with all the trials and tribulations in the garden. Plants, pollinators and pests are going wild.
Lets begin with the thugs. The weeds are of course deliriously happy. I can’t seem to stay on top of this menace. Mostly because it has been way too hot to spend the vast amount of requisite time to vanquish them. Clearly they’re loving the respite from me as each time I return to this chore, they are bigger and even more plentiful than before. I’m seriously considering making them legitimate members of my garden.
Okay, I agree. It would be a horrifying sight.
But the real thugs are the deliberately chosen members who decide to show their gratitude by going rogue. I’m looking at younatives -woodland anemone, ornamental raspberry and common aster. Just because the pollinators smother you with attention does not in any way give you license to overrun your better behaved sisters. Behave! I’m really tired of having to keep reining them in.
When my friend Beth recently discovered leopard slugs in her garden, I urged her to kill them off. Not simply because they’re slugs and universally disliked but, because they are non-native. Don’t get me wrong – I willingly murder our own native American varieties when I find them chomping on prize ornamentals or decimating my $40 tomatoes (each). After all the hard work I’ve put in, how dare they!
But, let me take a moment to put in a good word for the indigenous slugs. Believe it or not, they actually have a valuable purpose. They help break down decaying plant material like leaf litter, old logs and such and return nutrients to the soil. Some types of slugs are also predatory and feed on other slugs, snails, worms and insect larvae thereby keeping their populations in check. Slugs aerate the soil which is important for plant growth. They are a good food source (protein!) for birds, frogs and other invertebrates. So, that’s my Public Service Announcement for the season.
(But, do get rid of the non-native varieties.)
Finally, I’m currently consumed by the full on invasion of the Spotted Lantern Flies (SLF). The mild winter and wet spring is the reason. Climate change is not a hoax or fake news. It’s really happening and really horrible. The SLF nymphs are crawling all over. They are hard to swat (or crush) and kill like one can the adults. They hop away so fast. Given that these pests are everywhere, it’s not prudent to spray the recommended organic products as that would affect all the beneficial creatures as well. On that same vein, I cannot limit the SLF food supplies by cutting back the perennial plants. What would the native bugs and birds eat then?So the decision has been made to focus on just the fruit trees, Concord grape vine which is a particular SLF favorite and, some important shrubs. These are all plants that would be much harder to replace.
Note: many non-native plants are sought after by SLF. Possibly because they’re from the same places as the offending bugs. So it’s a good incentive to get rid of plants one shouldn’t be encouraging anyway.
Neem spray has had no effect thus far. We will keep trying of course. Meanwhile, we’ve cut back some of the grapevine so the SLF nymphs and adults have less shade to hide under and we’ve also done some dedicated vacuuming along the main trunk and limbs of the grapevine. This has been quite effective in sucking in the nimble nymphs as well as the adults. So we’ll see. Might end up vacuuming more often in the garden than inside the house this summer. Adults seen anywhere else will be crushed with relish.
War has been declared.
NOTE; I’m not going to dignify the pests and thuggish plants by showing their images. Instead, here are some glimpses of the garden doing it’s best in this endless heat wave of a summer –
